Bonito might not be the only Google smartphone in the works

Google traditionally names its Pixel phones after fish, and both of these names are types of fish.

Bonito is believed to be a mid-range Pixel powered by the Snapdragon 710 chipset.

We heard rumors of a mid-range Google smartphone earlier this year, purportedly codenamed Bonito. It seems like the device is still in the works, as references to it were discovered in the ARCore app.

The references were uncovered by Android Police after digging through the ARCore APK file, making it more likely that Google is indeed working on a budget-minded phone.

Bonito isn’t the only codename found in the APK file, however, as the outlet also found a reference to Sargo. Google usually assigns fish-themed codenames to its smartphones, and Sargo is indeed a type of fish.

This doesn’t necessarily confirm that Sargo is another Google phone, but how many manufacturers name their devices after fish? The company’s previous Pixel codenames include Marlin, Sailfish, Walleye, and Taimen.

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Aside from the Sargo name, we know nothing else about this mysterious device. Bonito, meanwhile, is believed to be a mid-range Pixel phone. The device is powered by a Snapdragon 710 chipset, according to journalist Roland Quandt.

A mid-range Pixel could be a tantalizing proposition in the likes of India, our own Robert Triggs wrote, as the likes of Xiaomi, Realme, and others deliver plenty of bang for the buck. A budget-minded Pixel could mean we get an affordable Google phone for the first time since the days of the Nexus 5X. Hopefully Google’s definition of “mid-range” isn’t $600…